Cooking oil may be the secret ingredient no one is talking about when it comes to fried food. It can mean the difference between a one-time visitor and a regular customer. You certainly want good taste, texture and appearance, but there are also other considerations for choosing oil.
No matter what type of cooking oil you use, or what you call it, here are a few of the most common cooking oils used in restaurants today:
Copra: The dried white flesh of a coconut that is crushed to make oil
Extra Virgin: Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality of oil, produced by pressing the whole fruit
Fat: Oil in solid or liquid form that is obtained from plants or animals and used in cooking
Ghee: Indian english butter used in Indian cooking
Hydrogenated: Hydrogenated oils and fats have had hydrogen added to them
Lard: White fat from pigs that is used in cooking
Margarine: A yellow substance made from vegetable oil or animal fat that can be used instead of butter
Monounsaturated: Monounsaturated fats and oils are made mainly from vegetable oils. They are considered to be healthier than those made from saturated fats.
Olive Oil: A type of oil made from olives, used in cooking
Palm Oil: A thick type of oil produced from the fruit of palm trees that is used especially for cooking and making soap
Polyunsaturated: Polyunsaturated fats and oils are made mainly from vegetable oils. They are considered to be healthier than those made from saturated fats.
Safflower Oil: A cooking oil
Shortening: A solid type of fat that is used especially for making pastry
Suet: Hard fat from around an animal’s kidneys that is used for cooking
Unsaturated: Unsaturated fat in food is better for your body than saturated fat because it does not create as much cholesterol
polyunsaturate noun